Batman is an element of classical dance

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Ballet and choreography are considered one of the most elegant and captivating art forms. The technique of classical dance is admired by millions of people around the world. The English writer John Dryden called ballet "poetry of the feet". The Russian poet and satirist Emil Krotkiy called the ballet "opera for the deaf". And the American choreographer Martha Graham noted that "the body never lies."

However, few people know what elements the ballet consists of and what movements the dance is based on. In the classical there are a huge number of elements: pas, divertissement, arabesque, corps de ballet, ferme, fouette, aplomb and many others. Batman is one of the most important choreographic movements. Let's see what it is.

What is batman?

Batman is a movement based on raising, abducting or bending the working leg. It comes from the French word Battements - "beating". Performing batman, the dancer stands on the supporting leg on half-toes, fingers or on the entire foot. It must be remembered that Batman is the basisclassical dance techniques.

There are a large number of types of batman that require special execution techniques. Let's take a look at some of them.

Battement Tendu ("batman tandu")

The literal translation of the name of the element is "tense, strained".

Batman type based on moving the working leg forward, backward or to the side. First, the foot is guided along the floor, then extended to the main position. The abduction angle should be 30 degrees. When the legs are abducted forward or backward, an angle of 90 degrees is formed between the body and the leg. When abducting to the side, the leg should be in line with the shoulder. At the time of execution, the legs are stretched and maximally tense. Often performed at the barre as a warm-up and training exercise. This batman is one of the first exercises taught by ballet dancers.

Battement Tendu Jeté

Pronounced in Russian as "batman zhete" (from the French. Jeter - "throw, throw").

An element very similar in technique to Battement Tendu. The only difference is the addition of a 45 degree leg raise. However, training in this movement begins with raising the leg 25 degrees. With the help of a wave, the leg comes off the floor and lingers in this position. Battement Tendu Jeté is also an excellent training element and is performed on the ballet barre. Develops accuracy, elegance of the legs and muscular corset. Battement Tendu andBattement Tendu Jeté performed from first or fifth position.

Grand Battement Jeté ("grand batman")

Performed with a high leg swing. In this case, the angle of raising the leg is 90 degrees or more, however, it is not recommended to raise the leg above 90 degrees during training. The dancer's torso leans back when the leg is lifted forward, or forward when the leg is swung back. When raising the leg to the side, a minimal deviation of the torso is allowed, but a single line of the leg and shoulder must also be observed. Performing Grand Battement Jeté, you can not bring the leg to its original position and swing 3-4 times in a row. The starting point for this exercise is the third position. Grand Battement Jeté develops well the muscular corset, as well as accuracy and endurance.

Battement relevé lent ("batman relevé lan")

The name comes from the French words: relever - "raise", lent - "slow".

A type of batman, carried out by slowly lifting the leg to a height of 90 degrees and holding it in this position. The element is quite difficult to perform, as it requires good training of the muscles of the legs and torso.

Battement frappe ("batman frappe")

The name comes from the French frapper - "beat, hit".

Performed by sharply bending the working leg at an angle of 45 degrees and hitting italong the supporting shin. Along with Battement Tendu, it is the main type of batman. The Battement frappé develops the precision and precision required by ballet dancers.

Battement Fondu ("batman fondue")

The element is named after the French word fondre - "melt, melt".

Quite a complicated kind of batman. Most often performed from the fifth position. The supporting leg is bent to the demi plie position, and the working leg goes into the le cou-de-pied position (lifting the leg). Then a gradual straightening of both legs is carried out, while the working leg is retracted or lifted forward, backward or to the side. The exercise is performed at the ballet barre. Well develops leg muscles, plasticity and softness of movements.

Battement soutenu ("batman hundred")

The verb soutenir is translated from French as "support".

A more complex kind of batman based on Battement Fondu. To perform it, you first need to rise on your fingers or half-fingers. And then put the working leg in the position le cou-de-pied and take the working leg forward, backward or to the side. It is also possible to raise it by 25, 45 or 90 degrees; flexion of the supporting leg at the knee and deviation of the body. The hand performs the nuance movement (“a small nuance, shade”). After nuance, the hand moves to the position of the first and second positions. The movement of the arm is performed simultaneously with the movements of the legs. Thus, the hand moves to the first position when settingthe working leg sur le cou-de-pied and opens to the second position when the leg is abducted or swung.

In this article we got acquainted with the main types of the most important element in classical dance. It became clear that batman is an element that requires accuracy, precision and maximum concentration of the dancer to perform it.